As a RL the fall of 2016, I developed both my skills as a leader, and as a listener.

have learned to handle situations differently with a more positive outcome. My

residents have taught me most of what I have learned, but my coworkers and

employers have taught me some as well. In the fall semester, I learned that I could

not react to a situation negatively because my residents were looking up to me to

see how I reacted. This was evident during Transition week when room changes

happened for the classes we were to attend. I watched as my residents waited for

instruction even though they were confused about the situation. However, residents

on other staffs become very upset when their RL acted negatively to the situation.

In that situation, I learned that I need to watch my actions because a future

employer or a current employer might see how you handle the situation.

As a RL the spring of 2017, I have learned to not give up. There were many times

this semester that I felt like school, keeping up with RL information and my

residents needs was overwhelming. However, I tried not to let the overwhelming

feeling affect me doing my job as a student and a residential leader. I have learned

to be a better time manager, so I have enough time for everything. I have learned

to allow myself to have a little time for myself, so I dont become overwhelmed

causing me to slack on my job.

Within the Discipline

Leadership is an important role within any job. Leaders are defined by both how

they act and what they accomplish. As a leader, control and power are required to

have an effect on others. However, power and control do not always mean taking

the power from another in the group. As an RL, I have realized how much listening

and letting others have the courage to stand out is important to being a leader. New

leaders are formed when they are allowed to voice their opinions and allowed to

lead a group.

Guidance is key in being a great leader. The leader should assist with the ideas of

their followers or the formation of new leaders. My residents this year already had a

grasp on college life, so I was a friend and a mentor who assisted and lead them in

a positive direction regarding grades and social life. I was a confidant who was

approachable and listened to their needs and problems.

Understanding is another part of leadership because leaders need to understand

what guidance and help their followers or fellow leaders need. For example, as an

RL, I had to understand when my fellow RLs needed me to back away from being

energetic and attempting to run the show.

Beyond the Discipline

Communication is important in any part of life. As humans, we communicate

throughout the day to many different individuals. This involves the listener and

talker both using their roles appropriately. Communication works when the listener

can take the information from the person talking and understand and appreciate the

meaning. The talker needs to be able to read the listeners expressions and have

appropriate dialog.

Belief is important beyond the job as an RL. In the position as an RL, my beliefs

have both helped me become a better leader and interact with my residents, and

have facilitated conversations that I never thought would happen. In my job as an

RL, I have had conversations about both my beliefs and my residents beliefs. In

these conversations, I have learned to understand that both beliefs are the right

one. My beliefs impact and shape me, but my residents have beliefs that impact

and shape them to be who they are. Therefore, as a leader, beliefs of others should

always be encouraged.

Beyond Academics
The position as being an RL has taught me that learning and development does not

always happen in a classroom. I had a resident come to me about a personal

situation, and in that moment, she allowed me to teach her some of the skills need

to overcome that situation. I have experienced this in my own life with the struggle

to make the grades in upper level classes. My fellow RLs have taught me how to

lean on others for support and I have learned to ask for help.

Learning in these situations are not related to academics, but they are important

lessons to learn. These lessons have helped develop who I am as a individual.

Interconnectedness

These skills and mindset that I have acquired through working as an RL are unique

to the experience. Learning how to communicate and listen affectively,

understanding fellow workers and residents, and knowing that not all learning

happens in the classroom allows a glimpse at what a future job might look like.

These skills I have acquired as an RL will help to shape who I am in the future. I will

be able to build upon the knowledge and become a better individual.

Global Awareness
College students are unique. There are not two identical college students, therefore;

learning from each resident or college student will always cause a new experience.

In the same way, each new job with different coworkers will lead to a new

experience and develop the individual in a new way. Residents do this within the

hall. They meet new people and allow that experience to influence them and

develop them. Each background brings a new influence with it.

Boarder Implications

I have learned that individuals will not ask for help unless they feel safe doing so.

Meaning residents will not ask for help unless they know that they will not be judged

or hurt by doing so. Therefore, at the beginning of the semester, I needed to let the

residents know that I was there for them, and they could come to me with any

problem or need.

However, this was hard to accomplish. I was very busy with working another job and

keeping up with my school work. As a remedy to the problem, I quit my other job for

the second semester. My residents come to me more this semester than they did

the first semester.